Archive Service Accreditation

The UK standard for archive services Archive Service Accreditation is the UK Standard for archive services.

The Standard looks at how an archive service acquires, preserves and provides access to their collections over the long term, through the management of risks and by planning for change. Archive Service Accreditation also represents a pathway for the ongoing development of a service.

An accredited archive service delivers within a framework of professionally recognised standards, supported by effective resourcing and management structures. Archive Service Accreditation recognises that every archive service fulfils a different role.

It takes account of governance arrangements and the legislative context of the archive service. Archive services may hold archive collections of different sizes and compositions and provide access to these collections in many different ways.

Since the launch of Archive Service Accreditation in 2013, a wide range of archive services have been awarded accredited status. These include archive services in universities, businesses and museums, as well as small specialist repositories, local authority archive services and national organisations. Benefits of Archive Service Accreditation

1. Use a nationally recognised framework to guide the development of your archive service

The framework is useful for all archives, whether you are still developing your approach to collections management and access provision, or are a more established archive service seeking to benchmark and review your service delivery against a national standard.

2. Develop a greater understanding of your archive service’s role

Explore how your service fits into the wider organisation and where your practices work well or could be improved across the different areas of managing collections and providing access. Demonstrate a visible and long-term commitment to your collections

Working with Archive Service Accreditation represents an investment on the part of the service into the management of archive collections in their care, both now and in the future.

Achieve a UK-wide standard and celebrate good practice

Accreditation is a chance to recognise achievement both within an organisation and more widely. Archive services can apply for Archive Service Accreditation via their assessor body, which in England is The National Archives.

Archive Service Accreditation is awarded by the UK Archive Service Accreditation Committee through regular panels based upon the recommendation of the assessor body. Eligibility depends on the size of archive collections and provision of access, dedicated storage and professional advice.

Our website provides guidance on meeting the standard and making an application. You can also find out about the assessor bodies for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archive-service-accreditation

For enquiries, please contact us at: accreditation@nationalarchives.gov.uk

Management of Archive Service Accreditation

The Archive Service Accreditation Committee is responsible for the management of Archive Service Accreditation on behalf of the UK partnership.

Archive Service Accreditation is supported by a UK-wide partnership of the Archives and Records Association, Archives and Records Council Wales, National Records of Scotland, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Scottish Council on Archives, The National Archives, and the Welsh Government through its Museums, Archives and Libraries Division.